National health care is here

Friday

Sep 27, 2013 at 2:00 AM

The national Affordable Care Act enacted in 2010 is ready to fully enroll consumers.

Susan Vaughn

Susan Vaughn photos

MAKING THE TRANSITION – Jean Yang, executive director of Massachusetts Health Connector, explains at a press conference the agency’s efforts to enroll people in its programs, which coordinate with the new national Affordable Care Act. Caronanne Procaccini, director of compliance and operations at the Community Action Committee of Cape Cod and Islands that will enroll consumers locally, is at right, with state Rep. Brian Mannal.

Cape’s Community Action Committee to help consumers re-enroll

The national Affordable Care Act enacted in 2010 is ready to fully enroll consumers. Even though many Massachusetts residents have health insurance under state-subsidized health care programs, they must re-enroll starting Oct. 1 to get the subsidized insurance by Jan. 1, 2014.

Massachusetts Health Connector, the independent state agency that helps residents find health insurance coverage and avoid tax penalties, is trying to make the transition process easy. The agency has been in charge of Commonwealth Choice and Commonwealth Care since 2006 and those programs will now be folded into the new state Health Connector program.

“We encourage people to take action. They may need to reapply,” Health Connector Executive Director Jean Yang said.

Health Connector has received federal grants to set up Navigator Organizations around the state and one of those is the Community Action Committee of Cape Cod and Islands based in the state Job Training and Employment Corp. center on North Street in Hyannis. CAC staff and Yang explained the re-enrollment process at a press conference last week.

The national health care program builds upon what Massachusetts had done as the model and takes the next step, Yang said, particularly in the low-income sector where there are more opportunities to seek subsidies.

The national plan also has more subsidies for those who haven’t had them, such as families of four with an income up to $94,000, Yang said. Total income eligibility is zero to 400 percent of the federal poverty level, so premiums could be reduced.

Low-income workers whose employer insurance is too high also will qualify for the subsidized insurance, Yang said, but she stressed that all those who have had Commonwealth Care need to reaffirm their enrollment for Jan. 1, when that program will no longer exist. There is also a new process for people who receive MassHealth (Medicaid) coverage.

“These are very, very exciting changes,” Yang said, “but people need to get used to them and there will be confusion and questions.”

The staff of the Community Action Committee has had 40 hours of training in the new enrollment process, said Caronanne Procaccini, CAC director of compliance and operations. Staff will be available to answer questions and help with the enrollment starting Tuesday, Oct. 1. By mid-December, electronic access will also be available, she said.

John Jebbia, a graduate of Dennis-Yarmouth High School and an immigrant from Trinidad who is now working in a $9-an-hour job, testified at the press conference how the CAC staff helped him get the state health insurance. “Making my wage, there is no other option,” he said. Yang said Jebbia will be able to transition seamlessly into the new Connector Care program.

Someone asked if immigrants could get the insurance. Yang said if an immigrant is lawfully present for less than five years, they could get subsidies, but not Medicaid through the insurance exchange. CAC Program Coordinator Camilla Santos said there are staff members who speak Spanish and Portuguese.

No appointments are necessary for anyone who has questions about the re-enrollment process and the staff encourages people to walk in. They may also call for appointments.

The Community Action office is at 372 North St., Hyannis. Call 508-771-1727 or 1-800-845-1999 or go online at www.cacci.cc or MAhealthconnector.org.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.